Being Back
by DreamersMyth27
Summary: No one really liked him - or wanted him - anymore. But it was fine. He could live with that. Except for Dick bleeding-heart Grayson.


This was written for the Tumblr Batfam Christmas Stocking exchange for hellyeahniccage. Enjoy!

* * *

Jason shifted nervously. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Considering this. He was the black sheep of the family, the 'bad guy'. No one really liked him - or wanted him - anymore. But it was fine. He could live with that.

Except for Dick bleeding-heart Grayson. His 'older brother' who'd insisted he come to the Manor for the holidays. Jason hadn't been planning on going. He was originally just going to stay home, eat some pie, maybe patrol later.

Hell, even after Dick had asked him, he'd been planning to stick to his original plan. He still wasn't exactly sure how he'd gotten here. He'd just went out on his motorcycle to ride around and clear his head and here he was.

Jason turned on the step to get back to his motorcycle. This had been a mistake. He wasn't welcome here. He never would be.

Then the door opened.

"Jason!" Dick exclaimed. "You came!"

Jason grimaced. So much for an easy escape.

"Yeah, I did."

Dick smiled brightly. "Well, come on in. Everyone's looking forward to seeing you."

Jason snorted. Dick looked strangely hurt.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jason muttered after a moment.

Dick practically bounced back inside. Jason followed at a much more sedated pace. The Manor really hadn't changed a bit from when he was a kid. It filled him with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Nostalgia?

Finally, Jason arrived with Dick into the dining room. The massive oak table was covered with a feast fit for a king. Bruce was at the head of the table. On one side Damian sat and the other had Tim. Duke and Cass were there as well, Cass next to Tim and Duke a seat away from Damian. Dick had already sat in between Duke and Damian.

"Ah, Master Jason, I see you made it," Alfred said.

Jason jumped slightly and turned around, smiling widely. "Alfie, it's good to see you again."

"You as well, Master Jason. Why don't you take a seat next to Miss Cassandra?"

It was phrased as a question, but Jason had the feeling it was more of a command. Well, so much for making an escape. He'd be here until after dinner, at least. So Jason sat.

Alfred smiled at him before disappearing into the hallway again, presumably to get more food from the kitchen. Everyone was staring at Jason. Jason stared back defiantly. And then Bruce smiled slightly at him. Smiled.

The world had to be ending because Jason sure as hell hadn't expected that. A smile. It was nice, not that he'd admit it.

"So, how have you been, Jason?" Bruce asked.

"Fine," Jason said cautiously. "You?"

Bruce nodded. "Good. Busy right now, especially with some new upgrades to the cave."

"You aren't even doing them, father," Damian snapped, though Jason could tell it wasn't meant to be rude. "I'm the one fixing the computer and other electronic devices."

"I'm providing all the equipment for it though!" Tim exclaimed.

Damian scowled at Tim. "But you couldn't put any of it together if there were instructions for everything."

Tim tilted his head. "Probably true."

"How about we just agree it's both you," Dick suggested. "And not Bruce at all."

"Hey now," Bruce said. "Who's paying for all of it?"

Damian smirked.

"I think it's Dick and me," Duke said. "Remember, it's your Christmas gift from all of us."

Cass nodded, glancing at Jason briefly before adding to the conversation.

"I put new lights on the cases and made upgrades to the suits."

Bruce laughed, like, actually laughed. Oh god, what had happened to Bruce in the last few months. Last time Jason saw him they'd been yelling at each other. A lot. There was no way Bruce had changed this much in half a year. It just wasn't possible.

Then Alfred was there with dinner and Jason didn't have any more time to think about how chill Bruce was being. Instead, he was busy eating ham, turkey, green beans, and Alfred's pumpkin pie, a pie Jason still hadn't found the recipe for, and not for lack of trying.

Then dinner was over and before Jason could think he was being dragged to the Batcave. Bruce, he noticed, stayed upstairs with Alfred.

"What are we doing?" Jason asked.

"Showing you the Batcave," Cass said simply, tugging his arm again. "Hurry. We need your help."

"What do you need my help for? Cass, tell me," Jason demanded.

Cass laughed. "Secret."

"I can't help if it's a secret," Jason said.

"Too bad," Duke said. "Cass is right. You'll find out in a minute."

Before he knew it, they had entered the Batcave. It was messier than Jason could ever remember it being. Things were taken apart, the cases were open, the dinosaur was missing… missing!? How had they even managed that?

"You need to complete the Batmobile," Damian ordered. "I am busy with the computer."

"Why?" Jason asked warily.

"Because this refurbished Batcave is our gift to Bruce," Dick explained.

"And you want me because…"

"Oh my god, Jason, it's a gift from you too," Tim explained. "We're all contributing."

"Even though some of us obviously don't care enough to think of it themselves," Damian muttered, with a particularly vicious glare at Tim.

Tim ignored him or didn't hear him, but Jason would guess he was ignoring him. It wasn't like Damian was that quiet when he muttered.

Jason looked around at everyone's hopeful faces, or in Damian's case, his obvious lack of concern or care that Jason was helping. It was amusing, in its own way. The kid looked just like Bruce, really.

Finally, Jason shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Where are the tools and how long will it take?"

"They are next to the vehicle," Damian said imperiously. "I assume you can figure out the amount of time it will take to complete on your own while everyone else continues with their tasks."

"You're a bossy brat, you know that?" Jason told Damian.

Damian ignored him. Tim patted Jason on the shoulder and fixed him with a sympathetic look.

"It's okay. You get used to it eventually."

Tim followed Jason to the Batmobile, and as Jason took in the thing - it was in pieces! - he mentally calculated the amount of time and effort it would take to complete with the upgrades Damian obviously had planned. Not more than a couple of hours, probably.

Jason got started, and as the hours passed by he lost himself in the engine grease and the feel of all the machinery that went into it. So much so that by the time he was finished, he realized the Batcave was empty save for Tim reading a book while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"They finish their jobs?" Jason asked him.

"Yeah," Tim said without looking up. "Everyone's hanging out upstairs now. I stayed to make sure you didn't escape as soon as you were done."

"I wouldn't have done that," Jason said, affronted.

This time Tim looked up with sad, old eyes. Older than any teenagers had a right to be.

"Yeah, you would have. That's okay though. I wouldn't have stopped you. I understand."

Jason snorted. He really doubted that.

"Well then, you tell me. How does it feel… being back?" Tim asked.

Jason paused.

"Not like, from the dead, because you've been back from the dead for a while. I mean how does it feel being back at the Manor. It's the first time since you came back to life years ago, right?" Tim asked. "You've been in the Batcave, but not the Manor. I don't think you've really seen Alfred either."

"It's… weird. Nothing's really changed up there," Jason finally said.

"Well, no matter whether you wanted to be here or not, I'm glad you came. I think you made Alfred and Bruce's months." Tim smiled sadly. "You can leave if you want. I'm heading up."

With that, Tim left. Jason was left alone in the Batcave. So different from when he'd been Robin, and yet still the same. He could leave if he wanted. Sneak off and not have to see them again until they inevitably fought over morals. That might be safer, really.

But Jason was sick of doing what people expected of him. He was the Red Hood and he was Jason Todd. And Jason Todd had never been predictable. He followed Tim upstairs.

Besides, seeing Alfred's face when he realized Jason had stayed of his own volition would be worth it.


End file.
